Electrical terminal



June 11, 1963 4' J1 J9 14 T Z 13 30 2 P. E. JOHNSON ELECTRICAL TERMINAL Filed March 14, 1961 15 14 Z- 2a 24 Z I 1 12 zz 1 K I n 21 1 I: I l I 1.! 2 23 INVENTOR. P/zlmore F. 1/0/0750/2/ flTTUE/VEY United States Patent 6 3,093,435 ELECTRICAL TERMINAL Philmore E. Johnson, Bristol, Conn, assiguor to The Superior Electric Company, Bristol, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Filed Mar. 14, 1961, Ser. No. 95,609 6 Claims. (Cl. 339-276) The present invention relates to an electrical terminal that is secured to an end of an electrical conducting wire to facilitate fastening of other electrical connectors to the wire.

The electrical terminal of the present invention has particular utility when secured in a mounting panel, such as formed of an insulated material with the electrical conducting wire secured on one side of the panel, normally the inner side. A connector extends through the panel and permits detachable connection to be secured thereto and thus be electrically connected to the wire.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical terminal which may be both mechanically secured and electrically connected to an end of an electrical conducting wire.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a terminal which requires only a simple operation for securing the wire and terminal, needing no special or expensive tools or solder.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a terminal that may be easily and economically fabricated in one piece priorto it being secured to the wire.

In carrying out the present invention, there is provided a solderless terminal composed of a body which may be secured, as by being pressed or molded, into an insulated panel. The terminal has a body having a head that preferably is accessible from the exterior of the panel and secured to the other side of the body is a stem that projects from the inner side of the panel. A through aperture or cross hole that receives the end of the electrical conducting wire to which it is secured is formed partially in the body and partially in the stem. A collar is integrally connected to the stem but is provided with an axial aperture which reduces the uniting cross-sectional area of the connection between the stem and collar to a relatively small area. Thus after the end of the wire is positioned in the cross hole and a compressive axial force is exerted on the collar, the uniting area between the collar and the stem is fractured and the collar is forced on the stem towards the body to thereby clamp the wire between the collar and the body.

The size of the aperture formed in the collar is limited to approximately the size of the stem so that a press fit occurs when the collar is forced onto the stem. Moreover, the fracturable area provides for rough areas of friction on both the collar and the stem which also aids in. securely clamping the wire to the terminal.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation partly in section of the electrical terminal of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an end view looking in the direction of the arrows 22.

FIG. 3 is an axial sect-ion of the terminal mounted in an insulated panel.

FIG. 4 is an axial section of the terminal similar to "ice an automatic screw machine to shape the terminal from a piece of free machining brass. The terminal includes a head 11, a body 12, a stem 13 and a collar 14. Each of these portions, in the specific embodiment of the invention herein described, has a cylindrical periphery and with their axes being aligned. As shown, the head 11 has a larger diameter than the body 12 which in turn has a larger diameter than the stem 13 while the diameter of the collar 14 is greater than the stem 13. An axial bore 15- extends through the head into the body and is preferably threaded to provide for detachable securement of another electrical connector, such as a wire and screw, to the terminal.

As shown, the exterior 16 of the body is knurled or otherwise roughened and at the junction of the stem and body there is formed a transverse aperture or cross hole 17. As shown particularly in FIG. 3, the cross hole has at least a portion thereof formed in the stem while the other portion is formed in the body, the latter being indicated by the reference numeral 18. Specifically, in the embodiment shown, the axis of the cross hole 1 7 is on the junction of the stem and body.

T he collar 14 is. formed with an axial aperture 19 having a diameter substantially the same or slightly less than the diameter of the stem. For example, if the stem diameter limits are .136 and .138 inch the aperture 19 is drilled with a drill having a diameter of .136 inch. It will be noted that the aperture 19 extends considerably into the collar portion but leaves a cross-sectional uniting area, indicated by the reference numeral 26 that forms the connection between the stem and the collar, thus making the terminal one piece as formed.

The terminal 10 is preferably mounted in an insulating panel 21, such as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, by either mold ing the terminal therein or by force fitting and/ or staking or spinning the terminal into an aperture 22 formed in the panel until the head 11 abuts the outer surface 23 of the panel. The length of the body 12 is sufficient to extend beyond the inner side 24 of the panel.

In order to secure the end of an electrical conducting wire 25 to the terminal, the wire end 26 is inserted into the cross aperture 17 until it substantially engages the body throughout the length of the portion 18 of the cross hole 17. A. compressive force is then exerted axially on the collar and this force is sufiicient to fracture or rupture the unit-ing cross-sectional area 20 and force the collar onto the stern until the collar abuts the wire 25. Naturally, the collar by abutting the wire 25 also forces the wire against the cross hole portion 18 and hence the wire is clamped between the collar 14 and the body. Moreover, by having the cross hole partially formed in the body, the wire is prevented from being sheared off when clamped in place by the collar.

Because of the relative size between the axial hole 19 and the diameter of the stern 13 the collar thus is press fitted onto the stem and hence is held by such a fit against movement. Moreover, it will be appreciated that the sides of cross-section 20 that are fractured are relatively rough and aid in maintaining, by their engagement with the stem and the collar, the securement of the collar on the stem.

After the wire has been secured to the terminal it will be appreciated that a bolt or other connector may be easily threaded into the aperture 15 to make an electrical connection to the wire 25 in view of the material forming the terminal 10 being electrically conductive. Moreover, instead of employing the aperture 15 as a connecting means, the terminal may be formed to have an integral stud projecting out therefrom which may be threaded or otherwise formed to have an electrical connector secured thereto in any well-known manner.

-It will accordingly be appreciated that there has been disclosed an electrical terminal for a wire which is formed in one piece. The terminal, by a simple pressing operation, provides for an extremely rigid and solid connection to the wire end, a. connection which is both mechanically strong and electrically conductive.

Variations and modifications may be made Within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. An electrical terminal comprising a head, a body connected to the head, a stern secured to the body and being formed to provide at least a portion of a transverse aperture and a collar integrally secured to the stem, said collar being fracturable from its connection to the stem to be pressed onto said stem to form a press fit with the stem to clamp a wire inserted in the aperture to the terminal.

2. A one-piece electrical terminal comprising a head, a body connected to the head and being of smaller diameter than the head, a stem secured to the body and being of smaller diameter than the body and being formed to provide at least a portion of a transverse aperture and a collar integrally secured to the stem and being of a larger outer diameter than the stern and having an axial aperture formed therein having a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the stem, said collar being fracturable from its connection to the stem to be pressed onto said stem to form a press fit with the stem to clamp a wire inserted in the aperture to the terminal.

3. An electrical terminal comprising a head, a body connected to the head, a stem secured to the body and being of smaller diameter than the body and being formed to provide at least a portion of a transverse aperture and a collar secured to the stem, said collar being larger than the stem and being pressed onto said stem to form a press 4 fit with the stem to clamp 21 wire inserted in the aperture between the body and the collar.

4. A one-piece electrical terminal comprising a head, a body connected to the head, a stem secured to the body and being formed to provide at least a portion of a transverse aperture and a collar integrally secured to the stem, said collar being fracturable from its connection to the stem to the pressed onto said stem to form a press fit with the stem to clamp a Wire inserted in the aperture to the terminal to provide for electrical connection between said wire and the terminal and additional means formed on said terminal for providing for another electrical connection to the terminal.

5. An electrical terminal comprising a body, a stem secured to the body and being formed to provide at least a portion of a transverse aperture and a collar integrally secured to the stern, said collar being fracturable from its connection to the stem to be pressed onto said stem to form a press fit with the stem to clamp a Wire inserted in the aperture to the terminal.

6. An electrical terminal comprising a head, a body connected to the head, a stem secured to the body and being formed to provide at least a portion of a transverse aperture, 3. wire positioned in said aperture, and a collar, said collar being press fitted onto said stem to clamp the wire inserted in the aperture to the terminal.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,520,259 Pummill Aug. 29-, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 858,987 Great Britain Jan. 18, 1961 

4. A ONE-PIECE ELECTRICAL TERMINAL COMPRISING A HEAD, A BODY CONNECTED TO THE HEAD, A STEM SECURED TO THE BODY AND BEING FORMED TO PROVIDE AT LEAST A PORTION OF A TRANSVERSE APERTURE AND A COLLAR INTEGRALLY SECURED TO THE STEM, SAID COLLAR BEING FRACTURABLE FROM ITS CONNECTION TO THE STEM TO BE PRESSED ONTO SAID STEM TO FORM A PRESS FIT WITH THE STEM TO CLAMP A WIRE INSERTED IN THE APERTURE TO THE TERMINAL TO PROVIDE FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID WIRE AND THE TERMINAL AND ADDITIONAL MEANS FORMED ON SAID TERMINAL FOR PROVIDING FOR ANOTHER ELECTRICAL CONNECTION TO THE TERMINAL. 